With Friends Like These
by Mechasix
Summary: Short Story about how Ekko first crosses paths with Jinx and Vi. Ekko, a teenage orphan is a lone wolf. He relies on his instinct and wit to survive on the rough streets of Zaun. He is about to attempt a daring heist that even the City's most notorious gangs don't dare attempt. Can he pull it off with no-one there to watch his back?


**(A:N- Hi, this is my first post on this site so apologies if I mess up any of the formatting, Hopefully its readable :/ I haven't really written anything since college but I had this idea and thought it was pretty cool so I hope I've done it justice! All feedback is very welcome, enjoy!)**

 **Disclaimer-I Don't own any of any of the League related characters and places. The story is mine and based on my own interpretation of the lore which means unfortunately this isn't necessarily cannon. :(**

The night pressed in on him from all sides, the grey of another Zaun day rapidly blurring into a murky midnight blue. Ekko Slouched back in the doorway of the tavern swallowed up by the shadows making him near invisible to the passing throngs of Zaunites who were too caught up in their own affairs to spare a glance for just another scruffy teenager. He was completely still, a hunter stalking his prey, the only sign he was even alive was the mist of his breath in the cold night air drifting slowly up and mixing with the ever present Zaun smog.

His prey on this particular night came in the shape of a towering manor house on the opposite side of the road. It loomed above the surrounding buildings, its leaning silhouette dominating the skyline. Rumours about this house and its occupants had spread through the Zaun underworld like wildfire over the past few weeks; whispered conversations in a shady alleyway, strangers muttering in the corner of a crowded pub. Soon every lowlife in Zaun had heard about the mysterious house in one way or another. It had quickly become the most notorious place in all of Zaun, hell in the whole of Runeterra. Some had heard that it was a dark necromancer using it as a base for his murderous experiments; Ekko himself had heard it was a traveling dignitary from Noxus looking to keep a low profile. What was clear to everyone was that this was the holy grail of burglary jobs. The moment he had first heard about the job it had seized his imagination, a supposedly impregnable house with limitless wealth inside, and none of the most feared gangs in the city would touch it! He knew he had to crack it; he had been an obsessive for days on end, plotting and scheming. He had barley slept. Tonight was the culmination of his enormous efforts and despite his statue like state his whole body was electric with excitement and nervous energy. His mind raced, possibilities he hadn't even considered chose this moment to emerge, so many ways this could go wrong!  
Stop!  
He forced himself to calm down, to breathe. Everything would go as planned. It had to.

A sharp movement on the other side of the street caught his eye, waking him from his pensive thoughts. He had been waiting for this. A tall cloaked figure had emerged from shadows of the manor and was making his way awkwardly down the long path that led to the street. He seemed nervous whoever he was, the flash of white from underneath the hood told echo that alert eyes darted around scouring the area for threats. This might be harder than he had anticipated. The stranger lingered at the end of the path, where a wrought iron gate opened out onto the busy street. His head tilted slightly, feet apart, instinctively sensing danger like a fox caught in a spotlight. He knew he was being watched, Ekko subconsciously sunk further into the shadows and cast his bright eyes downwards, watching the figure only through his peripheral vision. Seconds stretched on like hours until finally the man, or woman, or whatever it was beneath the robe, turned and stalked briskly down the street away from where Ekko was concealed. Ekko inwardly breathed a sigh of relief but continued to watch the steady progress of the billowing black cloak until even the long shadows left in its wake had disappeared from view. He got achingly to his feet and ran a grimy hand through his white-blonde hair. He flicked up his hood and cut out into the bustle of the street. Show time!

Ekko slipped through the crowd unnoticed, bearing down on a narrow gap between two shops a few buildings along from his target. He was incredibly intelligent for a boy his age, too clever for his own good. He had the kind of brain that never rested: Ideas, inventions, and questions were all permanently jostling for his attention inside his head. His friends (well, his old friends) had used to call it a curse, and he had to admit that there were times when he agreed. He would often sit awake long into the night, his head pounding, and exhaustion crashing over his body like waves, His brain refusing to sit still. Tonight he was grateful for his gift. As he ran over his plan for what seemed like the millionth time, he realized he wouldn't have even known where to begin if he was just an ordinary teenager. For that matter he probably wouldn't even have cared. He swerved past a pair of girls laughing and talking animatedly together. Perhaps that could have been his life: Going out with friends in the evenings, laughing and joking without a care in the world. Maybe even school during the days. He grimaced inwardly at the prospect. School was an increasingly rare thing in Zaun these days, only the most fortunate kids ended up there and often at huge expense to their parents. Ekko had never known his parents; he had always had to look out for himself. It was a small miracle he had survived this long and a credit to his resourcefulness and sheer force of will.

He reached the opening to the alleyway and paused for a moment, his eyes straining into the claustrophobic gloom before him. There should be a small drain cover about thirty paces into the alley. He set off, counting his steps as he went. …twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine – he stumbled slightly as he felt the rough stone beneath his feet give way to a slippery metal. This must be it. He regained his balance and crouched down; running his fingers across what was unmistakeably the storm grate. The metal was cold and damp from the recent rain. He shook his hand dry and snapped his lighter open casting a flickering light for him to work in. He took a crowbar from his pack and gently prized open the metal lid. Ekko stared into the black abyss now exposed at his feet. It may as well have been a bottomless pit for all he could see in the darkness; he brushed a nearby rock into the drain with his foot. There was a moments silence then a gentle splash and a loud resonating clonk. The sound pierced the stillness of the alleyway like a knife and he made himself waste several precious seconds waiting until he was satisfied no one was coming to investigate the noise. He knew from his preparations that the pipe he was about to climb into was only a few meters deep. This was little comfort to him however as he lowered himself down through the small hole. Had he been an adult this would have been impossible as the hole was barely big enough for him to slip through. His bag snagged on the edge of the drain so he dropped it in and then jumped down after it, pushing his fears to the back of his mind.

The teen felt cold water lap about his ankles and winced as he felt it creep inside his shoes. He scrabbled beneath him until he found his pack and took out a powerful torch. In the light he found that his surroundings were even less pleasant than the dark. The walls were thick with green slime and the 'water' that he could feel was actually a sickly brown. Several oversized rats scurried away down the pipe, pink tails whipping behind them as they went. Ekko hoped that rats were the worst thing he would find down here. He was in the main sewer for this part of town and the contents of this pipe didn't bare thinking about. The acrid stink was becoming overpowering so he pressed on following the curve of the pipe, stooped low in the cramped space, following the beam of torchlight. After several minutes, just as his back was beginning to ache he found what he was looking for. The pipe forked of into a Y shape, the right fork sloping steeply down into nothingness. Ekko turned down the left tunnel without hesitation becoming aware that he could stand up now and that his feet were no longer underwater. Stretching out his twisted limbs he quickly inspected his new surroundings. It was a large dark cellar filled with crates and barrels of various sizes. On the far side a short fight of stone steps led to an imposing wooden door. A thick padlock and several sturdy iron bolts kept the door firmly shut. Ekko grinned. Any other thief that made it this far would have found themselves at a dead end. The door may as well have been a brick wall to any lock pick or crowbar that might be used to try and break in. The teen rummaged in his pack once more as he quickly climbed the steps up the door and pulled out a large device shaped vaguely like a horse's shoe. This was one of Ekko's own inventions and one that he was especially proud of. It allowed his to bypass almost any lock with ease. He pressed the padlock into the device and yanked the small lever down. Within minutes the lock was smouldering and thin trails of wispy smoke crept upwards towards the ceiling. A sharp crack told Ekko that he was finished and when he removed his device the padlock swung open. One by one he slid the remaining bolts open and then with a great effort he heaved the heavy door open. Not for the first time that day Ekko had to force himself to calm down as waves of excitement pulsed through him. He was in!

Ekko quietly closed the door behind him, his keen eyes taking in his new surroundings. He stood in a lavishly furnished corridor, lanterns hung from the high ceiling at intervals casting a warm glow. After the darkness of the sewer he was thankful to be back in the light even if it made his job harder. He set of towards a flight of stairs at a brisk pace, very aware that the owner of the house could return at any moment. The aches and groans of the old house stalked his movements and he cursed the wooden floorboards beneath his feet, if there was anyone still inside the house they would surely hear him. Ekko crept up the stairs into a cavernous entrance chamber, the large front door he had seen from the road was across from him and he had to fight the urge to leave there and then. He had put too much work in to get this far and was not going to leave without something to show for it. Another large staircase rapped round the walls leading up the second floor, that's where all the loot would be.

He made for the stairs, there were no lights on in the room and he took advantage of this keeping to the shadows his footsteps much quieter now on the plush carpet. He was almost at the stairs when his breath caught in this throat and his eyes widened in fear. A ceiling height mirror covered the far wall and in it he could see the whites of a man's eyes. A door behind had been flung open behind him and the man stood framed in the well-lit doorway. Ekko was frozen on the spot; the man was staring right at him. Surely he had been seen! Nothing moved. It was as if the room had been frozen in time, Ekko crouched awkwardly in the middle of the floor. Someone shouted something from somewhere behind him and he man grunted in reply and went back into the room the door slamming shut behind him. Ekkos heart was racing, that was too close. He would have to be more careful. The men must be guards and who knew how many more there might be scattered around the big house. The danger of his situation was beginning to dawn on him. No-one knew he was here, if he was found he would certainly be killed and probably very painfully as well. No one would miss the orphan pickpocket he would just disappear of the face of Runterra.

Breathing heavily and much more cautiously than before, he ascended the stairs one at a time, his neck craning to see what was ahead of him. The teen was now on the upper balcony, moonlight spilled in between the cracks in the curtains. A ghostly light illuminated half a dozen doors leading off in different directions, anyone of which could be the one he was looking for. Towering deadly looking suits of armour guarded the walls, light glinting off the dull metal work. They made Ekko even more uneasy, he could feel cold eyes leering at him through the black slits in the helmets. He physically shook himself, he was being stupid. He needed to focus; there was no chance he was getting out of here if he let his fear get the better of him. In the end he walked towards a door at random praying that his instinct wouldn't let him down. He pushed it open an inch or two, the room seemed unoccupied. He slipped inside, quickly found a light switch and turned it on. He knew instantly that he had it the jackpot. It was a large office dominated by a heavy oak desk, the walls lined with bookcases and filling cabinets.

Working quickly he began to search, rifling through papers and pulling open draws. He didn't know what's he was looking for but guessed that he would know it when he saw it. After several minutes and no luck the orphan took a step back and surveyed the room. A rug in the far corner stood out like a sore thumb, it was worn and old compared to all the expensive well maintained furniture throughout the house. He hurried over to it dropping to his knees and running his hands over it, the material was coarse beneath his fingers. He grabbed a corner and tore it up exposing the wooden planks beneath. These also came away from the floor and a grin spread across his youthful face as with each plank he saw what he had found, slowly he reached out. Something crashed into him with such force that it sent him sprawling across the floor. It was like getting hit by bus. His head swam. He was disorientated; he could feel warm blood trickling down his arm. His dark eyes darted about, crazed, desperately seeking the source of the surprise blow. He locked onto a blurred whirlwind of black fur, thundering across the room towards him. The teen reacted fast rolling to one side just as the beast pounced and narrowly avoiding the razor sharp claws that swiped the air he had just been in.

For the first time he got a proper look at his attacker as it recovered from its last charge. It was a hulking mass of midnight fur and rippling muscle. Two beady bloodshot eyes drilled into him and a slobbering pink tongue slid across jagged fangs as the beast prowled back and forth in the corner of the room. It was like nothing Ekko had ever seen, a terrifying cross between wolf and rat. It couldn't be natural he thought, this was surely the result of some horrific genetic experimentation and it didn't look like they quite finished, patches of fur were missing exposing raw scratched skin and its tail had been cut leaving a mutilated stump in its place. Panic was rising in his mind. What kind of nightmare place had he stumbled into; he was starting to doubt he would ever get out of here alive. His thoughts were cut short as the monstrosity pawed the ground readying itself for another attack. He desperately searched around him for something to defend himself with, he was all too aware of the rasping breaths of the animal getting closer and closer. A gleaming coat of arms hung on the wall, two swords crossed behind a checked shield. The sharp swords certainly looked like the real thing so he reached up and tried to yank one of them free. He was dismayed as the whole wretched thing came away from the wall, crashing to the ground and almost tearing his arm out of its socket. The beast sprang at him its razor teeth flashed in the moonlight, with all his might he clumsily swung the coat of arms, ignoring the burning discomfort in his arms. He felt grim satisfaction as metal connected solidly with bone. The beast was sent reeling a howl of agony erupting from its grotesque head. In a raging frenzy it leapt in again claws ripping at any part of Ekkos flesh it could find and its huge jaw clamped around his thigh pulling him the floor. With his free leg Ekko kicked out wildly at the beast's head, tears of pain streaking down his face. God, the thing was going to tear his whole leg off if he couldn't get loose. The swords had come free form the coat of arms and one now lay idle just out of reach. He dragged himself along the ground the mutt still clinging insanely to his leg. With relief his fingers closed around the hilt and he swung wildly slicing through his attacker's front leg. The beast released him and crumpled to the ground with a whimper. Ekko brought himself to his feet with difficulty; his leg felt like it could give way at any moment. He stood over the pathetic looking animal that now cowered at his feet in a pool of its own blood. It tried rather feebly to move and quickly collapsed again defeated. The teen was dizzy with pain, his clothes were torn and splattered with blood. His eyes burned furiously as he brought the sword crashing down one final time. It shrieked through the air and found flesh. The beasts head rolled away across the carpeted floor leaving a trail of crimson in its wake.

Slowly Ekko came back to himself, his rage subsiding at the absurd scene before him. It left only the pain behind. He was abruptly aware of noise and movement below him. A door slammed and voices could be heard in the hallway downstairs. He crept over to the door opening it a slither so he could listen.

"There is a light on in my office. Why, who has been up there?"

It was a man's voice, quiet and authoritative.

"No one has sir. We heard some noise a while back but we thought it was just the…well the dog."

It was a second voice, gruffer than the first. He seemed unsure what to call the beast that Ekko had just slain. Dog didn't even begin to do it justice the teen thought as the first man spoke again, his voice dripping menace.

"If I were you I would go up there and check! God help you if anything has happened."

"Shit."

Ekko cursed under his breath, he recoiled from the door as heavy boots began to thump their way up the stairs. He didn't have enough time! Whoever it was would find him any second now and he was not keen to meet the owner of the sinister voice who was clearly in charge. He ran over to the hiding place he had discovered beneath the floorboards ignoring the tenderness of his wounds. Concealed here were two large bags of gold but they were not what had caught his eye.

In the centre of the space, wrapped carefully in velvet cloth was what appeared to be a large jewel. It was completely spherical apart from two flat disks, one on the top one on the bottom. An intricate pattern was carved on both these faces, crisscrossing and swirling lines danced across the surface. The whole thing was emitting a gentle pulsing turquoise glow. Carefully Ekko picked it up cupping it in the velvet cloth, cautious not to touch it with his dirty bloodstained hands. It occurred to him that very few people in Runterra would recognize it for what it truly was. It was called a Dimension Core, an ancient artefact from before the Rune wars. There were very few in existence and until now none had been found by anyone living. They were used by the ancient races to manipulate the dimensions themselves, the power to alter time and space was now quite literally in his hands. Despite himself and the ever nearing footsteps in the hall he could not help but marvel at its beauty, it was breath-taking. He could feel the sheer power of it throbbing through him, electricity shivered up his arms and spine. Whoever owned this house must have had an obscenely hard time acquiring it and would kill him in a second for even knowing of its existence. That thought brought him to his senses, it was time to go.

Finally he managed to tear his eyes from it. Delicately he wrapped it up in the cloth and placed it inside his bag. He also scooped up the gold; a boy in his position couldn't afford to turn his nose up at free gold. Hurriedly he assessed his options, the door he had entered by was out, and any second now the guards would come barrelling through that. That left him only one choice, the window. As an afterthought the orphan replaced the floorboards and rug, hopefully this would delay them finding out what he had been up to. He ran to the window, no longer heeding the amount of noise he was making. It was locked. He snatched up a heavy ornament from the desk and hurled it through the glass panes kicking out the jagged remains with his boots. The house was suddenly full of commotion; people were shouting downstairs, the footsteps in the hall had become an urgent run. The door blew open and Ekkos saw the stunned surprise on the guards pale faces as he jumped out into the night.

Ekko struggled to untangle himself from the bush he had landed in. Eventually he managed to wrench his jacket free of the thorns that seemed set on ensnaring him there forever. He checked that he still had his bag and sprinted the length of the large courtyard he had found himself in. He felt the shadows pressing in on him threatening to trap him in this dreadful place. Once at the far end he clambered up a dead tree that was growing next to the sheer brick wall that encased the house and its grounds. From this precarious position amongst the bare branches he was able to transfer himself across so that he was perched atop the wall. Here he risked a glance back at the house and was sure he could see faces at the window staring out into the darkness searching for him. He jumped down into the alleyway his knees groaning as he landed and his whole body burning in protest to the punishment it was receiving. There would be time to worry about his injuries later; right now he just needed to put as much distance between him and the house as he possibly could. A guttural roar erupted from somewhere behind him sending a group of birds into the sky in fright. They must have found out what he had taken! His need to escape had become even more urgent and he took off down the alleyway towards the light and noise of the road. People. People where his biggest ally at this moment, he would not feel safe until he had disappeared into the crowds. In other cities the streets may have been deserted at this hour with everyone in bed. Not Zaun. The city he had grown up in came alive when the sun went down. All manner of characters wondered the wide streets, hordes spilled from the taverns and pubs and the sound of brawls, laughter and song could be heard long into the early hours. There was no other place quite like it in Runeterra, Bildgewater probably was the most similar but even the unruly pirate city could not compare to the lawless place north of the Iron Mountains. Ekko was thankful for this now as he emerged into the street. There were few other places, he thought, were a teenager could walk through the streets at this ungodly hour, clothes torn and covered in blood and dirt, without a single eyebrow being raised. Streets and neighbourhoods passed as he walked. He kept up a brisk pace never stopping, never looking back until he was satisfied that he was far enough away to rest.

An archway made of crumbling cobblestone guarded a deserted passageway, it was perfect. Halfway down, when the teen was confident he was out of range of curious eyes, he allowed himself to relax. He slumped against the wall hands crossed behind his head. A combination of exhaustion, relief and exhilaration kept him from feeling the discomfort of his aching, battered body. His clothes were in ruins and he was muddy from his fall from the window. He could taste the blood sweat and tears of his ventures bitter on his tongue and he was both mentally and physically drained. However his eyes shone bright with triumph in the gloom of the alley. He had succeeded were so many else had failed, and he had received bountiful reward for his nights work. The future was looking unusually bright for the young orphan. A movement at the end of the Passage stirred him from his content daydreaming. He immediately thought the worst and his body tensed preparing for flight. His eyes strained in the darkness to see who or what was approaching him. Ekko visibly relaxed, leaning back against the wall his hands deep in his pockets. It was a young girl; she couldn't have been much younger than him, half walking, and half skipping down the alley towards him. She had a distinctive appearance. Electric blue hair fell in a single messy plait all the way down to her slender waist. He couldn't see much of her face. (She seemed more interested in her scuffed, too big, military style boots than on where she was going) She had milky white skin and painted, blood red lips. All her clothes seemed several sizes too big. She wore a pink vest top that stopped just above her belly button and a loose patched up camouflage jacket the sleeves of which had to be rolled up several times to expose her hands. A thick brown belt held up pinstripe pink shorts. One leg was covered up to the knee with yet more pink, a fishnet stocking, the other was peppered with plasters and bruises.

Ekko quietly wondered what she was doing down here, she didn't look like the kind of person you'd expect to find in a dark alleyway. Before he knew it she was upon him and that was when he realised his mistake. She finally raised her eyes to meet his; long black eyelashes flickered up and revealed luminous pink eyes. Those eyes. They shimmered with danger, bright with a maniacal fire. Now he knew something was wrong the way she was looking at him, it was too intense, there was something almost unhinged about it. He scrambled trying to prepare himself for whatever was coming. His hands were barely out of his pockets.

"Boo,"

she yelled, her face wide in mock surprise, arms stretched out like a star. Ekko hopped back confused, right into the fist that was swinging to meet his head. The blow sent him reeling back, he span around full circle and crashed into the wall. The teen slipped to the ground, his vision went black. As he lay on the hard stone pavement he felt nimble, skilled fingers relieve him of his backpack. He half-heartedly reached out an arm to try and stop her but a gentle hand pushed him back to the ground by his forehead. A girly laugh, ripe with mirth rang through the Alley.  
"Easy there tiger, you don't want to get yourself hurt do you."

There was more giggling, through blurred eyes he could see the two figures standing over him. One of them, the blue haired girl, was rummaging through his bag eagerly. The other was taller and stronger looking; there was evidence of toned muscle in her tight fitting clothes. This must be who had hit him; she was standing almost lazily waiting for her friend.  
"Hurry it up Jinxie,"

she yawned,

"I want to get out of here."

Ekko stirred again and she carefully rested a large heeled boot on his chest and flashed him a wide mischievous grin. The other girl squealed in excitement jumping up and down on the spot.  
"It's here,"

she exclaimed breathily.

"There's no doubt, it's genuine!"  
"Aha, I told you our friend here knew what he was doing."

She winked at Ekko who was lying bemused on the ground, his eyes unfocused and his tongue lolling from his mouth like a puppy.

"I don't believe it sis, they can't turn us a way now we have this. We're sure to get in!"

The blue haired girl was hugging the bag like a teddy bear twisting back and forth on the spot staring at the elder for confirmation.

"Screw that."

The tall girl replied.

"We don't freakin' need them anymore, you realize how much this things worth!"

She wrapped a strong arm round her younger companion and pulled her into a rib breaking hug almost sending her sprawling.  
"We don't need anyone Vi"

"Your damn right. It's you and me girl, It's you and me against the world."

Ekko was roused by the realization that there was no longer any pressure on his chest. There was no longer anyone talking either. He was alone. He rubbed his head trying to remember what had happened. There had been a girl and…then the world had flipped upside down and he didn't remember anymore. His bag was gone, he knew that much, and the dimension core with it. Suddenly all the pain from the night washed over him like an ice cold wave and he shuddered. He was incredibly tired. He could here giggling. Was that in his head? No somewhere in the distance he could hear two people laughing. With great effort he opened his eyes and squinted down the passage. He could make out two figures walking away from him arm in arm. One short, the other tall. One with long bright blue hair, the other with an asymmetric mop of the brightest pink. Ekko groaned and fell gratefully to sleep.


End file.
